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ANALYSES 



GRAINS AND VEGETABLES, 

DISTINGUISHING THE NITROGENOUS FROM THE 
NON-NITROGENOUS INGREDIENTS, 

FOR THE PURPOSE OF ESTIMATING 

THEIR SEPARATE VALUES FOR NUTRITION. 



ALSO. 



ON AMMONIA FOUND IN GLACIERS; 



AND ON THE 



ACTION AND INGREDIENTS OF MANURES. 



By E. N. IIORSFORD, A. M. 

BOSTON: 

JAMES MUNROE AND COMPANY 

184G. 






BOST O N : 
PRINTED BV THURSTON, TORRY & CO. 
31 Dovoii3lnre Street. 



VALUE OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF VEGETABLE FOOD, 



BASED UPON 



THEIR PER CENTAGE OF NITROGEN, 

By E. N. HORSFORD, A. M. 

READ BEFORE THE ALBANY INSTITUTE, APRIL, 1846. 



Since Gay-Lussac's discovery of nitrogen in the seeds of 
plants, the conception of animal nutrition has been assuming 
a more and more definite character. 

Already had the principal proximate ingredients of meals, 
by taking advantage of their physical properties, been sep- 
arated from each other; gluten, albumen and legumin, 
starch, gum, sugar, dextrine, and woody fibre were known, 
and their physical, as well as some of their chemical proper- 
ties * had been studied. 

Their more accurate chemical constitution was reserved 
to a later period, when the interesting disclosure was made, 
that they may be arranged in two classes, those containing 
nitrogen, and those containing no nitrogen ; and that the for- 
mer as well as the latter are, among themselves, nearly iden- 
tical in composition. 

It is well known that laborers, supplied only with food con- 
taining no nitrogen, become incapable of executing their 

* Fr. Marcet found gluten consisting of 55.7 per cent, of carbon, 22.0 per 
cent, of oxygen, 7.8 per cent, of hydrogen, and 14.5 per cent, of nitrogen. — 
Annal. de Chim. et de Physiq. } xxxvi. p. 27. 



D VALUE OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF VEGETABLE FOOD, 

tasks ; and further, that the corporeal system, even without 
labor, cannot be sustained upon such food. The discovery 
of the near identity in chemical composition between vege- 
table albumen, fibrin and caseine, and the corresponding 
bodies found in the animal kingdom, gave the above facts 
their explanation. 

The food must contain an ingredient suited to replace the 
animal matter consumed. 

This being known, and the quantitative relation of the sev- 
eral elements of the nitrogenous compounds being also 
known, an estimate of the value of given kinds of food, be- 
comes, in the hands of the chemist, a problem of compara- 
tively easy solution. 

The following investigation, undertaken at the suggestion, 
and under the direction of Prof. v. Liebig, in the Giessen 
Laboratory, had for its object the determination of the relative 
values of different kinds of vegetable food. 

These values are threefold. 

The various forms of food derived from grains, herbage 
and roots, furnish, 1st, bodies containing nitrogen, 2d, bodies 
destitute of nitrogen, and, 3d, inorganic salts, — all of which 
are serviceable in the animal economy. 

The nitrogenous bodies, from their solution in the blood, 
form the tissues — the actual organism. The bodies wanting 
nitrogen contribute, by their more or less perfect combustion, 
to the warmth of the animal body ; and the salts of the alka- 
lies and alkaline earths, serve in building up the osseous 
framework, beside constituting an essential part of every 
organ of the animal system. 

Their values for the latter purpose are in proportion to 
the phosphates the ashes contain. 

Their values for the second purpose above mentioned, may 
be considered, in general, as in the inverted relation of their 
values for the first ; — since the larger the proportion of 
nitrogenous bodies, the less must be the proportion of bodies 

anting nitrogen. 



BASED UPON THEIR PER CENTAGE OF NITROGEN. 7 

Their values for the first purpose, that of ministering to 
the support and growth of organic tissues, have been the spe- 
cific object of the hereafter enumerated determinations. 

Boussingault, to whom the Agriculturist is so largely 
indebted for practical researches bearing upon the interests 
of husbandry, has not left this field untrodden. It was 
thought, however, that the worth of his table of nutrition from 
the vegetable kingdom, could lose nothing by a series of 
carefully conducted analyses, embracing the chief varieties 
of vegetable food consumed by men. It was, moreover, con- 
ceived, that in substances containing so small a per centage 
of nitrogen as grains and roots generally, the method of 
Messrs. Varrentrapp and Will for determining nitrogen, would, 
give more accurate results than that of Dumas, employed by 
Boussingault. The analyses hereafter given, of the same 
substance, rarely varied from each other more than one tenth 
of one per cent. ; and yet the determinations which follow, 
and those of similar substances made by the distinguished 
French chemist, in general differ no farther from each other 
than might be expected, from productions of the same vege- 
table species, grown on different soils. 

Buckwheat {Polygonum fagopyrum) constitutes an excep- 
tion to this remark. In the table of analytical results, page 
294, Boussingaulfs Economie Rurale, (Ger. Edition), this 
grain has a nitrogen percentage of 2.40, while two ordinary 
varieties of wheat (Triticum vulgare) have 2.33 and 2.30 
per cent. Buckwheat meal from Vienna gave, as shown 
below, 1.08 per cent. Buckwheat grains (Polygonum Tar~ 
taricum) from the experimental field of the Hohenheim 
Agricultural Institute, gave J. 58 per cent, of nitrogen, while 
the analyses of three superior varieties of wheat, grown in 
the same field, gave respectively 2.59,2.68 and 2.69 per 
cents. This species was further found to contain 22.66 per 
cent, of woody fibre. 

The equivalent value of Buckwheat, according to Boussin- 



8 VALUE OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF VEGETABLE FOOD, 

gault, wheat being 1.00, is 1.08. The following analyses 
give, for its equivalent value, 1.70. For that of the Vienna 
Buckwheat meal, 2.45. 

For the following investigation the meals, table peas and 
beans and lentils were procured by Prof. v. Liebig, from 
Vienna. The grains, with the exception of Rice and Triticum 
monococcum, were furnished from the cabinet of the Hohen- 
heim Agricultural Institute, in the kingdom of Wurtemberg, 
in reply to a request for the most approved sorts of cerealia 
cultivated in Europe. The roots were from Giessen. 

The several meals, grains, and roots, in their market con- 
dition, were dried in a water-bath at 100° C. (212 Fah.) 

In drying the potatoes, beets, carrots and turnips, care was 
taken to cut as thin shavings as possible, which with the least 
delay were placed singly upon watch glasses, weighed and 
seated in the water-bath. 

For carbon and hydrogen, the combustions were made 
with oxide of copper, a mixture of chlorate of potash and 
oxide of copper, having been placed at the extremity of the 
combustion tube. 

It was found difficult to reduce the woody fibre of the oats, 
barley and buckwheat, to the requisite fineness for a complete 
combustion. Where the difficulty could not readily be over- 
come, in addition to chlorate of potash at the extremity of the 
tube, it was found well, in tilling with mixed substance and 
oxide of copper, to add, at intervals of an inch and a half, a 
small quantity of finely pulverized and thoroughly mixed 
oxide of copper and chlorate of potash. The successive evo- 
lutions of oxygen in this case, thoroughly reoxidized any 
portions of copper reduced in the progress of combustion, and 
secured the most satisfactory results. 

Difficulty presented itself also in the combustion of the 
potatoes, beets and other roots, arising from the extreme 
compactness of the substance when dried. It was, however, 
overcome by the method already mentioned. 



BASED UPON THEIR PER CENTAGE OF NITROGEN. V 

The nitrogen determinations, as already intimated, were 
according to the method of Messrs. Varrentrapp and Will. 

The per centage of woody fibre was determined in the fol- 
lowing manner. Grains, such as had been analyzed, were 
digested upon a sand-bath several weeks in dilute hydro- 
chloric acid, one part of acid to a thousand parts of water. 
At intervals of from eight to ten days, the fluid was poured 
off, and, with diluted acid as before, the digestion resumed. 
After a month and a half, the woody fibre not appearing 
wholly freed from this substance, an equally dilute solution of 
caustic potash was employed, and the digestion therewith 
resumed. At the end of two months the woody fibre of the 
oats, barley and buckwheat were poured upon filters, thor- 
oughly washed with distilled water, and dried at 100° C. 

Of beans and peas the hulls, separated by treating with 
cold water, were alone digested with dilute caustic potash, 
repeatedly pouring off the liquid and resuming the digestion 
afresh. At the conclusion of four weeks, the hulls were 
washed and dried at 100° C. 

To express in hundred parts the results of analysis, the 
carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and sulphur of the nitrogenous in- 
gredients were estimated from the per centage of nitrogen.* 



* Mulder's analysis of coagulated albumen, Scheerer and Jones's analy- 
ses of legumin and gluten (Annalen der Chemie und Pharmacie, xxxix. 
page 360) ; and Heldt's analysis of the gluten of rye (Annalen der Chemie 
und Pharmacie, xlv. page 198), differ so little from each other, that a 
single formula has been constructed upon Mulder's analysis of coagulated 
albumen, and with a little modification employed in determining the ele- 
ments of the nitrogenous ingredients of all the substances subjected to 
investigation. 

Mulder's per centage of oxygen was reduced by that of the sulphur, which 
has been ascertained during the last session of the Giessen Laboratory, 
and kindly furnished to me by Dr. Ruling. It is for gluten 1 . 14 per cent., 
and for legumin 0.50 per cent. 

The still undetermined phosphorus is included in the oxygen. 

Below follow the analyses alluded to above. 
1* 



10 VALUE OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF VEGETABLE FOOD, 

The carbon and hydrogen so estimated, deducted from the 
whole per centage of carbon and hydrogen, gave what be- 
longed to the starch, gum, woody fibre, sugar, &c. The oxygen 
of the latter was estimated from the carbon, by the formula 

V^I2 -tim Win. 



Coagulated 

Gluten. Albumen. 

Scheerer. Jones. Mulder. 

Carbon 54.60 55.22 54.99 

Hydrogen 7.30 7.42 6.87 

Nitrogen 15.81 15.98 15.66 

Oxygen, P. & S. 22.28 21.38 22.48 

Legumen. Gluten of Rye. 

Scheerer. Jones. Heldt. 

Carbon 54.13 55.05 56.38 

Hydrogen 7.15 7.59 7.87 

Nitrogen 15.67 15.89 15.83 

Oxygen, P. & S. 23.03 21.47 19.96 

The numbers employed were 

Carbon .... 54.99 
Hydrogen . . . 6.87 

Nitrogen . . . . 15.66 
Sulphur .... 1.14 — 0.50 

Oxygen and Phosphorus 20.92 —21.98 

Mucin, discovered by Berzelius, is recognized among the nitrogenous 
compounds. As analyses of vegetable fibrine and vegetable albumen, with 
and without it, according to Prof. v. Liebig, give the same result, it may 
be presumed that its composition is identical with theirs. 

* The following list of the chief bodies present in the substances anal- 
yzed, with their annexed constitution, will justify the method pursued. 

Starch C12 H10 Oio 

Dextrine C12 H10 Oio 

Gum C12 H10 Oio 

Woody fibre, Payen . . . . C12 H10 Oio 

Cane sugar C12 Hn On 

Pectic acid, dried by 140° C, Regnault . Cia Hs On 

Pectic acid, Mulder . . . . C12 Hs Oio 

Pectin combined with Pb O, Fremy . C10 H9 On 

Starch and woody fibre exceed in per centage, all the other ingredients 

enumerated, in most of the substances analyzed ; and are, beside, identical 

in constitution with gum and dextrine. 



BASED UPON THEIR PER CENTAGE OF NITROGEN. 11 

Wheat Flour, from Vienna. No. 1. 
Water. 

I. 1.0883 grammes lost at 100° C. (212° Fah.) 
0.9378 gr. water. 

Ashes. 

II. 1.309 gr. of the flour dried at 100°, left after incin- 

eration 0.0091 gr. 

III. 0.862 gr. of the same gave 0.0061 gr. ashes. 

Elementary analysis. 

IV. 0.3805 gr. of the same, burned with the oxide of cop- 

per, gave 
0.6370 gr. carbonic acid, and 
0.2186 " water. 

V. 0.4190 " of the same, gave 
0.7020 " carbonic acid, and 
0.2550 " water. 

VI. 0.3671 " of the same, gave 
0.6189 " carbonic acid, and 
0.2374 " water. 

VII. 0.8078 " of the same, gave, by Varrentrapp and 

Will's method for determining Nitrogen, 
0.3925 gr. platin-salammoniac. 

VIII. 0.8078 gr. of the same, gave 
0.3893 " platin-salammoniac. 

These determinations give, in per cent, expressed. 





i. 


ii. 


in. 


Carbon =± 


45.66 


45.69 


45.97 


Hydrogen r= 


6.38 


6.76 


6.96 


Nitrogen =z 


3.05 


2.99 




Ashes == 


0.67 


0.70 




Water = 


13.83 







Estimated in hundred parts, according to the composition 



12 VALUE OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF VEGETABLE FOOD, 

of the chief ingredients present, the above determinations 
give the following numbers. 

f Nitrogen 3.00 ~) 

XT . 4 Carbon 10.53 I 

Nitrogenous I H d L31 [ = 19J6 

ingredients. <j ^^ ± M C 

I Sulphur 0.23 J 

Ingredients f Carbon 35.23 ") 

containing 1 Hydrogen 5.39 > = 79.77 

no Nitrogen. [ Oxygen 39.15 J 

Ashes - - = 0.70 



99.63 



Wheat Flour, from Vienna. No. 2. 

I. 3.6365 gr. lost at 100° C. 0.4964 gr. water. 

II. 1.2599 " of substance dried at 100° C. gave 
0.0084 " ashes. 

III. 0.3643 " of the same, gave 
0.6015 " carbonic acid, and 
0.2175 " water. 

IV. 0.5429 " of the same, gave 
0.9022 " carbonic acid, and 
0.2175 " water. 

V. 0.8705 u of the same, gave 
0.2974 " platin-salammoniac. 

VI. 0.698 " of the same, gave 
0.2331 " platin-salammoniac. 

The above correspond, in per cent, expressed, to 

i. ii. 

Carbon 45.03 45.32 

Hydrogen 6.67 6.63 

Nitrogen 2.14 2.10 
Ashes 0.67 
Water 13.65 



BASED UPON THEIR PER CENTAGE OF NITROGEN. 13 

Estimated in hundred parts, according to the constitution 
of the principal bodies present, the above determinations 
give 





f Nitrogen 


2.12 } 






Carbon 


7.44 1 
0.93 } — 
2.89 | 




Nitrogenous 
ingredients. 


•{ Hydrogen 
1 Oxygen 


13.53 




(_ Sulphur 


0.15 3 




Ingredients 


f Carbon 


37.73 ") 




containing 


1 Hydrogen 


5.72 y — 
41.92 J 


85.37 


no Nitrogen. 


(^ Oxygen 






Ashes 


= 


0.66 



99.56 

Wheat Flour, from Vienna. No. 3. 

I. 3.5345 gr. at 100° C. lost 

0.4500 " 
II. 4.4785 " of Hour, dried at 100°, gave 
0.0497 " ashes. 

III. 0.5545 " of the same, gave 
0.9339 " carbonic acid, and 
0.3377 " water. 

IV. 0.3310 " of the same, gave 
0.5655 " carbonic acid, and 
0.2031 " water. 

V. 0.6405 " of the same, gave 
0.3514 " platin-salammoniac. 
These, in per cent, expressed, correspond to 

I. ll - w 

Carbon 45.93 46.59 
Hydrogen 6.76 6.8 1 

Nitrogen 3.44 
Ashes 1.11 

Water 12.73 

Estimated in hundred parts according to the composite 



14 VALUE OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF VEGETABLE FOOD, 

of the chief ingredients present, the above determinations 
give 

f Nitrogen 3.44 ~] 

Ingredients | Carbon 12.08 | 

containing <[ Hydrogen 1.50 ]> = 21.93 

Nitrogen. | Oxygen 4.68 | 

I Sulphur 0.25 J 

Ingredients C Carbon 34.97 1 

containing J Hydrogen 5.28 J> = 78.03 

no Nitrogen. (_ Oxygen 37.97 j 

Ashes - - = 1.11 



100.09 



Talavera Wheat, from Hohenheim. 
Triticum vulgare. This variety is of high reputation as a 
winter grain. Berry yellow, of medium size, and slightly 
shrunk. 

Ten kernels weighed 0.3606 gr. 

I. 2.3010 gr. lost, at 100° C, 0.3551 gr. water. 
II. 3.9868 " of substance, dried at 100° C, gave 
0.1116 " ashes. 

III. 0.2796 " of the same, gave 
0.3915 " carbonic acid, and 
0.1672 " water. 

IV. 0.2387 " of the same, gave 
0.3915 " carbonic acid, and 
0.1427 " water. 

V. 0.6429 " of the same, gave 
0.2711 " platin-salammoniac. 
The above correspond, in per cent., with 

i. ii. 

Carbon 45.14 44.73 
Hydrogen 6.64 5.97 

Nitrogen 2.59 
Ashes 2.80 

Water 15.43 



BASED UPON THEIR PER CENTAGE OF NITROGEN. 15 

Estimated in hundred parts, according to the composition 
of the chief ingredients present, the above determinations 
give the following numbers. 



f Nitrogen 



Ingredients | Carbon 

containing <[ Hydrogen 1.13 } = 16.54 
Nitrogen, j Oxygen 
(_ Sulphur 
Ingredients {* Carbon 

containing <j Hydrogen 5.12 J> = 80.78 
no Nitrogen. [_ Oxygen 

Ashes - = 2.80 




100.12 

Whitington Wheat, Hohenheim. 
Triticum vulgare. An English variety, of great excel- 
lence. Berry yellow or white, large, and slightly shrunk. 
Ten kernels weighed 0.4239 gr. 



I. 


2.6221 gr. lost, at 100° C, 




0.3653 " water. 


II. 


4.6567 " of substance, dried at 100°, gave 




0.1460 " ashes. 


III. 


0.2927 " of the same, gave 




0.4747 " carbonic acid, and 




0.1834 " water. 


IV. 


0.3898 " of the same, gave^ 




0.6377 " carbonic acid, and 




0.2343 " water. 


V. 


0.5494 " of the same, gave 




0.2343 " platin-salammoniac. 


n per cent, the above correspond to 




i. li. 
Carbon 44.23 44.61 




Hydrogen 6.96 6.67 




Nitrogen 2.68 




Ashes 3.13 




Water 13.93 



16 VALUE OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF VEGETABLE FOOD, 

Estimated in hundred parts, according to the constitution 
of the chief ingredients present, the above determinations 
give 

f Nitrogen 
Ingredients | Carbon 
containing <[ Hydrogen 
Nitrogen. Oxygen 
[_ Sulphur 

Ingredients f Carbon 
containing <J Hydrogen 
no Nitrogen. (_ Oxygen 
Ashes 



2.68 


') 






9.40 


i 






1.17 


> 




17.09 


3.65 


i 






0.19 


J 






35.02 


i 






5.65 


\ 


: — 


78.58 


38.91 


J 






- 




— 


3.13 



99.80 



Sandomierz Wheat, Hohenheim. 



Triticum vulgare. Berry scarcely of medium size, plump 


and sound. This 


variety is known as one of the best in 


Germany. 




I. 


4.2256 gr 


. at 100° C, lost 




0.6545 " 


water. 


II. 


3.6555 " 


of substance, dried at 100° C, gave 




0.0886 " 


ashes. 


III. 


0.5754 " 


of the same, gave 




0.9327 " 


carbonic acid, and 




0.3465 " 


water. 


IV. 


0.7303 " 


of the same, gave 




0.3131 « 


platin-salammoniac. 


In per cent, the above corresponds to 






Carbon 44.20 






Hydrogen 6.68 






Nitrogen 2.69 






Ashes 2.40 






Water 15 48 



Estimated in hundred parts, according to the composition 



BASED UPON THEIR PER CENTAGE OF NITROGEN. 



17 



of the principal bodies present, 


the above determinations 


give 




f Nitrogen 


2.69 ") 


Ingredients j Carbon 


9.44 | 


containing <{ Hydrogen 


1.17 }= 17.15 


Nitrogen. | Oxygen 


3.66 | 
0.19 j 


(_ Sulphur 


Ingredients f Carbon 


34.76 1 


containing <[ Hydrogen 


5.51 ]> = 78.89 


no Nitrogen. (_ Oxygen 


38.62 j 


Ashes 


= 2.40 



98.44 



Rye Flour, from Vienna. No. 1. 
I. 3.253 gr. lost, at 100° C, 



II. 



III. 



IV. 



VI. 



0.4482 

2.889 

0.0387 

3.2285 

0.0427 

0.3383 

0.5576 

0.1983 

0.3109 

0.5055 

0.1901 

0.6519 

0.1941 



water. 

of flour, dried at 100° C, gave 

ashes. 

of the same, gave 

ashes. 

of the same, gave 

carbonic acid, and 

water. 

of the same, gave 

carbonic acid, and 

water. 



of the same, 



gave 



platin-salammoniac. 
In per cent, expressed, the above correspond with 



Carbon 

Hydrogen 

Nitrogen 

Ashes 

Water 



i. 

44.41 

6.51 

1.87 

1.34 

13.78 



ii. 

44.32 

6.79 

1.32 



Estimated in hundred parts, according to the composition 
2 



18 VALUE OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF VEGETABLE FOOD, 

of the principal bodies present, the above determinations 

give 

f Nitrogen 1.87 *) 

Ingredients [ Carbon 6.56 j 

containing <j Hydrogen 082 }> = 11.92 

Nitrogen. I Oxygen 2.54 | 

[Sulphur 0.13 J 

Ingredients f Carbon 37.81 1 

containing «J Hydrogen 5.83 > s= 85.65 

no Nitrogen. (_ Oxygen 42.01 J 

Ashes - - =1.33 



98.90 
Rye Flour, from Vienna. No. 2. 

I. 7.4625 gr. lost, at 100° C, 

1.0956 " water. 
II. 2.8000 « of flour, dried at 100° C, gave 
0.0300 " ashes. 

III. 0.5312 " of the same, gave 
0.8752 " carbonic acid, and 
0.3116 " water. 

IV. 0.4577 " of the same, gave 
0.7626 " carbonic acid, and 
0.2720 " water. 

V. 0.7558 " of the same, gave 

0.3537 " platin-salammoniac. 
VI. 0.7378 " of the same, gave 
0.3433 " platin-salammoniac. 
In per cent, expressed, these correspond to 





i. 


ii. 


Carbon 


44.94 


45.44 


Hydrogen 


6.52 


6.60 


Nitrogen 


2.94 


2.92 


Ashes 


1.07 




Water 


14.68 





Estimated in hundred parts, according to the composition 



BASED UPON THEIR PER CENTAGE OF NITROGEN. 19 

of the principal bodies present, the above determinations 
give 



(" Nitrogen 


2.93"] 




Ingredients j Carbon 


10.28 j 




containing <[ Hydrogen 


i.28 y 


= 18.69 


Nitrogen, j Oxygen 


3.99 | 




(_ Sulphur 


0.21 j 




Ingredients f Carbon 


34.91 1 




containing ^ Hydrogen 


5.28 V 


= 78.97 


no Nitrogen. (_ Oxygen 


38.78 J 




Ashes 


- 


= 1.08 



98.74 
Bush Rye, from Hohenheim. 

Secale cereale. Winter crop. In the Hohenheim cata- 
logue, is the following remark. " Beside its other qualities, 
this variety yields such excellent straw, that it deserves being 
mentioned." The berry is small, and generally shrunken. 
Ten kernels weighed 0.1220 gr. 
I. 4.2303 gr. lost, at 100° C, 





0.5896 " 


water. 


II. 


43792 " 


of substance, dried at 100° C, gave 




0.1078 " 


ashes. 


III. 


0.4742 " 


of the same, gave 




0.7879 " 


carbonic acid, and 




0.2767 " 


water. 


IV. 


0.6281 " 


of the same, gave 




1.0555 " 


carbonic acid, and 




0.3777 " 


water. 


V. 


0.6807 " 


of the same, gave 




0.3016 " 


platin-salammoniac. 


per 


cent, the above correspond to 




Carbon 45.31 45.83 
Hydrogen 6.48 6.68 
Nitrogen 2.78 
Ashes 2.43 
Water 13.94 



20 



VALUE OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF VEGETABLE FOOD, 



Estimated in hundred parts, according to the composition 
of the chief ingredients present, the above determinations 
give 

f Nitrogen 
Ingredients j Carbon 
containing <[ Hydrogen 
Nitrogen. | Oxygen 
[_ Sulphur 
Ingredients f Carbon 
containing <[ Hydrogen 
no Nitrogen. (_ Oxygen 
Ashes 

101.02 

Kush Rye, from Hohenheim. 

Secale cereale arundinaceum. Berry of medium size, 
and slightly shrunken. 

Ten kernels weighed 0.1838 gr. 
I. 3.3139 gr. lost, at 100 C, 



2.78 "} 




9.76 | 




1.21 y 


= 17.73 


3.78 | 




0.20 J 




35.76 "} 




5.37 V 


= 80.86 


39.73 J 




- 


= 2.43 



0.4579 ' 


1 water. 






II. 1.4596 ' 


8 of substance 


dried at 100° C. 


gave 


0.0346 ' 


8 ashes. 






III. 0.2795 ' 


8 of the same, 


gave 




0.4620 ' 


' carbonic acid, and 




0.1742 ' 


8 water. 






IV. 0.2632 ' 


8 of the same, 


gave 




0.4381 8 


8 carbonic acid, and 




0.1638 ' 


c water. 






V. 0.6435 ' 


8 of the same, 


gave 




0.2530 l 


8 platin-salammoniac. 




3 correspond to, in per cent., 






i. 
Carbon 45.08 


ii. 
45.39 




Hydrogen 6.92 


6.22 




Nitrogen 2.47 






Ashes 2.37 






Wate 


r 13.82 







BASED UPON THEIR PER CENTAGE OF NITROGEN. 21 

Estimated in hundred parts, according to the composition 

of the principal bodies present, the above determinations 
give the following numbers. 

f Nitrogen 2.47 " 

Carbon 8.67 

Nitrogenous , H d h08 } = 15.76 

ingredients. } ^ yge * g 36 

Sulphur 0.18 \ 

Ingredients f Carbon 36.56 ~) 



containing < Hydrogen 5.49 J> = 82.67 
no Nitrogen. (_ Oxygen 40.62 J 

Ashes - - = 2.37 



100.80 

Potenta Meal (Indian Corn Meal), Vienna. 

Yellow, and coarse. 

I. 5.5810 gr. lost, at 100° C, 

0.7456 " water. 
II. 4.3933 " of meal, dried at 100° C, gave 
0.0386 " ashes. 

III. 3.9323 " of the same, gave 
0.0331 " ashes. 

IV. 0.5444 " of the same, gave 
0.9010 " carbonic acid, and 
3330 " water. 

V. 0.5095 " of the same, gave 

0.8399 " carbonic acid, and 

0.2943 " water. 

VI. 9.9055 " of the same, gave 

0.3093 " platin-salammoniac. 

These correspond to, in per cent., 

i. ii. 

Carbon 45.14 44.96 
Hydrogen 6.89 6.49 

Nitrogen 2.14 
Ashes 0.87 0.84 

Water 13.36 



22 value of Different kinds of vegetable food, 

Estimated in hundred parts, according to the composition 
of the principal bodies present, the above determinations 
give 

(" Nitrogen 2.14 "} 

Ingredients | Carbon 7.51 I 

containing <[ Hydrogen 0.93 }> = 13.65 

Nitrogen. j Oxygen 2.92 | 

(_ Sulphur 0.15 J 

Ingredients ( Carbon 37.53 1 

containing < Hydrogen 5.67 > = 84.90 
no Nitrogen. \ Oxygen 41.70 j 

Ashes - - = 0.86 



99.41 

Common Yellow Maize (Indian Corn). Hohenheim. 

Zea mais. Berry oval, bright and sound. 
Ten corns weighed 3.5934 gr. 
I. 4.5765 gr. lost, at 100° C, 

0.6849 " water. 
II. 5.0654 " of substance, dried at 100° C, gave 
0.0974 " ashes. 

III. 0.4164 " of the same, gave 
0.6984 " carbonic acid, and 
0.2468 " water. 

IV. 0.4103 " of the same, gave 
0.6800 " carbonic acid, and 
0.2684 " water. 

V. 0.7319 " of the same, gave 
0.2684 " platin-salammoniac. 

These correspond, in per cent., with 

i. ii. 

Carbon 45.74 45.20 
Hydrogen 6.58 6.64 

Nitrogen 2.30 
Ashes 1.92 

Water 14.96 



BASED UPON THEIR PER CENTAGE OF NITROGEN. 23 

Estimated in hundred parts, according to the composition 



of the 


principal bodies present, 


the above determinations 


give 


{" Nitrogen 
Ingredients | Carbon 
containing <] Hydrogen 
Nitrogen. Oxygen 

(^ Sulphur 


2.30 ~) 

8.07 

1.00 j> = 14.66 

3.13 | 

0.16 J 




Ingredients ( Carbon 
containing < Hydrogen 
no Nitrogen. ( Oxygen 
Ashes 


37.38 ) 

5.61 V = 84.52 
41.53 j 

= 1.92 



101.10 

Triticum Monococcum. Giessen- Wheat. 

I. 4.4914 gr. lost, at 100° C, 

0.6472 " water. 

II. 7.1327 " of substance, dried at 100° C, gave 

0.1438 " ashes. 

III. 0.6303 " of the same, gave 
1.0288 " carbonic acid, and 
0.3811 " water. 

IV. 0.6757 " of the same, gave 
1.1041 " carbonic acid, and 
0.4098 " water. 

V. 0.7105 " of the same, gave 
0.2340 " platin-salammoniac. 

These correspond with 





i. 


ii. 


Carbon 


44.51 


44.56 


Hydrogen 


6.71 


6.74 


Nitrogen 


2.07 




Ashes 


2.01 





Water 14.40 



24 VALUE OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF VEGETABLE FOOD, 

Estimated 
of the princi] 



Estimated in hundred parts, according to the composition 
' the principal bodies present, the above give 



Nitrogen 
Ingredients | Carbon 

containing <J Hydrogen 0.90 J> = 13.20 
Nitrogen, j Oxygen 
(^ Sulphur 
Ingredients f Carbon 

containing < Hydrogen 5.82 J> =: 84.52 
no Nitrogen. [_ Oxygen 

Ashes - =2.01 




99.73 

Jerusalem Barley. Hohenheim. 
Hordeum distichum. Two-rowed Barley. 
Ten kernels weighed 0.5312 gr. 
I. 1.9328 gr. lost, at 100° C, 

0.3247 " water. 
II. 2.3553 " of substance, dried at 100° C, gave 
0.0670 " ashes. 

III. 0.4457 " of the same, gave 
0.7392 " carbonic acid, and 
0.2787 " water. 

IV. 0.4603 " of the same, gave 
0.7728 " carbonic acid, and 
0.2913 " water. 

V. 0.6910 " of the same, gave 
0.2560 " platin-salammoniac. 

These correspond with 





i. 


ii. 


Carbon 


45.23 


45.78 


Hydrogen 


6.94 


6.79 


Nitrogen 


2.31 




Ashes 


2.84 




Water 


16.79 





Estimated in hundred parts, according to the composition 



BASED UPON THEIR PER CENTAGE OF NITROGEN. 25 

of the principal bodies present, the above determinations 
give the following numbers. 



Ingredients 
containing 
Nitrogen. 


f Nitrogen 
j Carbon 
-^ Hydrogen 
j Oxygen 
(_ Sulphur 


2.31 ~) 

8.11 

1.00 } = 14.72 

3.14 | 

0.16 j 


Ingredients 
containing 
no Nitrogen, 


f Carbon 
< Hydrogen 
, I Oxygen 

Ashes 


37.39 ~) 

5.87 )> = 84.80 
41.54 j 

= 2.84 



102.36 

Common Winter Barley. Hohenheim. 

Hordeum vulgare. 

Ten kernels weighed 0.3955 gr. 

I. 1.5268 gr. lost, at 100° C, 
0.2107 " water. 

II. 2.5708 " of substance, dried at 100° C, gave 
0.1409 " ashes. 

III. 0.3244 " of the same, gave 
0.5380 " carbonic acid, and 
0.1928 " water. 

IV. 0.2505 " of the same, gave 
0.4152 " carbonic acid, and 
0.1611 " water. 

V. 0.5266 " of the same, gave 
0.2342 " platin-salammoniac. 

VI. 4.3619 " of grains (calculated as dried at 100° C), 

gave, by the method already described, 
0.2356 " woody fibre and combined inorganic mat- 
ter or chaff and hulls. 

VII. 0.1793 " of the above hulls and chaff, gave 
0.0035 " ashes. 



26 



VALUE OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF VEGETABLE FOOD, 



These results, in per cent., are 

i. ii. 

Carbon 45.23 45.20 

Hydrogen 6.60 7.14 

Nitrogen 2.79 

Ashes 5.52 

Water 13.80 

Hulls and chaff 5.40 
Ashes of same 1.90 



Estimated in hundred parts, according to the composition 
of the principal ingredients present, the above determinations 
give the following numbers. 



f Nitrogen 
Ingredients | Carbon 
containing <j Hydrogen 
Nitrogen. | Oxygen 
(^ Sulphur 



2.79 ") 

9.79 | 

1.12 y= 17.70 

3.80 

0.20 J 



Ingredients 

containing 

no Nitrogen. 



(" Carbon 
<j Hydrogen 
(^ Oxygen 

Ashes 



35.43 

5.85 
39.36 



= 80.64 
= 5.52 







103.86 




Dried at 100°. 


Undricd 


Nitrogenous ingredients 


17.70 


15.26 


Inorganic ingredients 


5.52 


4.76 


Woody fibre 


5.35 


4.57 


Starch, sugar, etc. 


71.48 


61.61 


Water 




13.80 



100.00 



100.00 



BASED UPON THEIR PER CENTAGE OF NITROGEN. 27 

Kamschatka Oats. Hohenheim. 
Avena sativa. A superior variety. 

Ten kernels weighed 0.3446 gr. 
I. 2.3657 gr. lost, at 100° C, 

0.3018 " water. 
II. 3.1728 " of substance, dried at 100° C, gave 
0.1032 " ashes. 

III. 0.4310 " of the same, gave 
0.7341 " carbonic acid, and 
0.2552 " water. 

IV. 0.4001 " of the same, gave 
0.6830 " carbonic acid, and 
0.2427 " water. 

V. 0.4102 " of the same, gave 

0.1581 " platin-salammoniac. 
VI. 0.6207 " of the same, gave 
0.2324 " platin-salammoniac. 
In per cent, expressed, corresponding to 

i. ii. 

Carbon 46.45 46.55 
Hydrogen 6.55 6.73 

Nitrogen 2.42 2.35 

Ashes 3.26 

Water 12.71 

Estimated in hundred parts, according to the composition 
of the principal bodies present, the above determinations 

give the following numbers. 

f Nitrogen 2.39 

Ingredients | Carbon 8.39 

containing { Hydrogen 1.04 J> = 15.24 

Nitrogen. | Oxygen 3.25 | 

I Sufphur 0.17 J 

Ingredients f Carbon 38.11 1 

containing { Hydrogen 5.60 > = 86.05 

no Nitrogen. {_ Oxygen 42.34 J 

Ashes - - = 3.26 

104.55 



28 VALUE OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF VEGETABLE FOOD, 

Early White Panicled Oats. Hohenheim. 

Avena sativa. One of the best varieties known. 
Ten kernels weighed 0.3689 gr. 



I 1.7548 gr. 


lost, at 100° C, 


0.2271 " 


water. 


II. 1.8486 " 


of substance, dried at 100°C, gave 


0.0765 " 


ashes. 


[II. 0.3539 " 


of the same, gave 


0.6057 " 


carbonic acid, and 


0.2144 " 


water. 


V. 0.2410 " 


of the same, gave 



0.4123 " carbonic acid, and 

0.1451 " water. 

V. 0.4977 " of the same, gave 

0.2236 " platin-salammoniac. 

VI. 3.5498 " of kernels, gave by the method already 
described, 

0.5916 " hulls and chaff. 

VII. 0.4197 " of the hulls and chaff, gave 

0.0140 " ashes. 



In per cent, corresponding to 


i. 


ii. 


Carbon 


46.68 


46.66 


Hydrogen 


6.73 


6.69 


Nitrogen 


2.82 




Ashes 


4.14 




Water 


12.94 





Hulls and chaff 16.66 
Ashes of same 3.35 

Estimated in hundred parts, according to the composition 
of principal bodies present, the above determinations give 



BASED UPON THEIR PER CENTAGE OF NITROGEN. 29 



f Nitrogen 


2.82 7 


Ingredients | Carbon 


9.90 | 


containing <j Hydrogen 
Nitrogen. Oxygen 
(_ Sulphur 


1.23 } = 17.99 
3.84 | 
0.20 j 


Ingredients f Carbon 


36.76 ") 


containing ^ Hydrogen 


5.48 }■ =z 83.08 


no Nitrogen. (^ Oxygen 

Ashes 


40.84 J 

= 4.14 




105.21 


Dried at 100° C. Undried. 
Nitrogenous ingredients 17.99 15.67 


Inorganic ingredients 


4.14 3.60 


Woody fibre 


16.10 14.01 


Starch, sugar, etc. 


61.76 53.78 


Water 


12.94 



100.00 100.00 

As the woody fibre = 16.10 per cent, of the whole, be- 
longs mostly to the chaff, this grain ranks among the richest 
in nitrogenous compounds ; 2.82 per cent, of nitrogen with 
the chaff, equals 3.38 per cent, without. 



Oryza i 
I. 


sativa. 
7.4606 gr 


Common Rice. 
. lost, at 100° C, 




1.1301 " 


water. 


II. 


8.3670 " 


of dried substance, gave 




0.0306 " 


ashes. 


III. 


0.7158 " 
1.1701 " 


of the same, gave 
carbonic acid, and 




0.4244 « 


water. 


IV. 


0.6095 « 
0.9982 " 


of the same, gave 
carbonic acid, and 




0.3559 " 


water. 


V. 


1.5609 " 


of the same, gave 




0.2892 " 

3 


platin-salammoniac. 



30 VALUE OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF VEGETABLE FOOD, 

Corresponding, in per cent., to 





i. 


ii. 


Carbon 


44.57 


44.66 


Hydrogen 


6.58 


6.48 


Nitrogen 


1.16 




Ashes 


0.36 




Water 


15.14 





Estimated in hundred parts, according to the composition 
of the principal bodies present, the above determinations 

give 

f Nitrogen 1.16 

Ingredients | Carbon 4.07 

containing <J Hydrogen 0.51 

Nitrogen. Oxygen 1.58 

I Sulphur 0.08 J 

Ingredients j" Carbon 40.54 1 
containing «j Hydrogen 6.02 J>= 91.60 

no Nitrogen. [_ Oxygen 45.04 J 

Ashes - - = 0.36 



== 7.40 



99.36 

Buckwheat Meal, Vienna. 

I. 7.3962 gr. lost, at 100° C, 

1.1187 " water. 

II 5.1500 " of meal, dried at 100° C, gave 

0.0564 " ashes. 

III. 0.5041 " of the same, gave 
0.8194 " carbonic acid, and 
0.2911 " water. 

IV. 0.3441 " of the same, gave 
0.5577 " carbonic acid, and 
0.2061 " water. 

V. 1.1295 " of the same, gave 

0.2062 " platin-salammoniac. 

VI. 0.9536 " of the same, gave 

0,1561 " platin-salammoniac. 



BASED UPON THEIR PER CENTAGE OF NITROGEN. 31 

The above correspond, in per cent., with 





i. 


ii. 


Carbon 


44.36 


44.20 


Hydrogen 


6.42 


6.68 


Nitrogen 


1.14 


1.03 


Ashes 


1.09 




Water 


15.12 





Estimated in hundred parts, according to the composition 
of the principal ingredients present, the above determinations 
give 

f Nitrogen 1.08 ~) 

Ingredients j Carbon 3.79 | 

containing •{ Hydrogen 0.47 Y = 6.88 

Nitrogen, j Oxygen 1.47 j 

I Sulphur 0.07 j 

Ingredients f Carbon 40.48 1 

containing < Hydrogen 6.07 > r= 91.52 

no Nitrogen. (_ Oxygen 44.97 J 

Ashes - - = 1.09 



99.49 



Tartarian Buckwheat, Hohenheim. 

Polygonum tartaricum. This species differs from P. fago- 
pyrum (the common species) in that, while the hulls of the 
latter are smooth, those of the former are covered with folds 
and excrescences. The whole grain, hull included, was 
pulverized and analyzed. 

Ten kernels weighed 0.2566 gr. 



32 



VALUE OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF VEGETABLE FOOD, 



I 


2.7598 gr. lost, at 100° C., 




0.3910 " water. 


II. 


2.5924 " of substance, dried at 100°C, gave 
0.0597 " ashes. 


III. 


0.4245 " of the same, gave 




0.7013 " carbonic acid, and 




0.2503 " water. 


IV. 


0.3401 " of the same, gave 




0.5710 " carbonic acid, and 




0.1943 " water. 


V. 


0.5677 " of the same, gave 
0.1407 " platin-salammoniac. 


VI. 


5.0444 " of kernels (calculated upon substance 




dried at 100° C.) gave, by the method 
already described, 
1.1438 " hulls. 


VII. 


0.7100 " of the above hulls gave 
0.0006 " ashes. 



These correspond, in per cent., with 





i. 


ii. 


Carbon 


45.06 


45.79 


Hydrogen 


655 


6.35 


Nitrogen 


1.56 




Ashes 


2.30 




Water 


14.19 




Hulls 


22.67 




Ashes of hulls 


0.08 





Estimated in hundred parts, according to the composition 
of the chief ingredients present, the above determinations 
give the following numbers. 



BASED UPON THEIR PER CENTAGE OF NITROGEN. 



33 



f Nitrogen 
Ingredients | Carbon 
containing <[ Hydrogen 
Nitrogen. | Oxygen 
(_ Sulphur 
Ingredients f Carbon 
containing <j Hydrogen 
no Nitrogen. [_ Oxygen 
Ashes 




= 9.94 



= 90.38 
= 2.30 







102.62 




Dried at 100= C. 


Undried. 


Nitrogenous ingredients 


9.94 


7.94 


Inorganic ingredients 


2.30 


1.97 


Woody fibre 


22.66 


19.44 


Starch, sugar, etc. 


65.40 


56.46 


Water 




14.19 



100.00 



100.00 



Table Peas, Vienna. 

Bright, plump and sound kernels, of me- 



Pisum sativum, 
dium size. 

Ten weighed 2.6080 gr. 



I. 


4.4804 gr 


. lost, at 100° C, 




0.6018 " 


water. _ 


II. 


2.1600 " 


of substance, dried at 100° C, gave 




0.0687 " 


ashes. 


III. 


0.4527 " 


of the same, gave 




0.7476 " 


carbonic acid, and 




0.2789 " 


water. 


IV. 


0.3810 " 


of the same, gave 




0.6314 " 


carbonic acid, and 




0.2272 " 


water. 


V. 


0.8603 " 


of the same, gave 




0.6047 « 


platin-salammoniac. 


VI. 


5.2332 " 


of kernels (calculated for substance dried 
at 100° C.) gave, by the method already 
described, 




0.4005 " 


hulls. 


VII. 


0.3962 " 


of the above hulls, gave 




0.0098 " 


ashes. 

3* 



34 VALUE OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF VEGETABLE FOOD, 

These determinations, expressed in per cent., correspond 



to 





i. 


ii. 


Carbon 


45.04 


45.20 


Hydrogen 


6.84 


6.62 


Nitrogen 
Ashes 


4.42 
3.18 




Water 


13.43 




Hulls 


7.65 





Ashes of same 2.47 

Estimated in hundred parts, according to the composition 
of the chief ingredients present, the above results give the 
following numbers. 

C Nitrogen 4.42 ~) 
Carbon 15.51 



Ingredients 

containing 

Nitrogen. 



Hydrogen 1.93 J> — 28.02 

Oxygen 6.02 | 

Sulphur 0.14 J 

Ingredients ( Carbon 29.61 \ 

containing < Hydrogen 4.80 > = 68.31 

no Nitrogen. ( Oxygen 32.90 j 

Ashes - - =3.18 



98.51 

By estimating the nitrogenous ingredients according to the 
analysis of legumin by Dumas and Cahours,* the above de- 
terminations gave 102.00, instead of 98.51. 



Dried at 100° C. 
Nitrogenous ingredients 28.02 


Undried. 
24.41 


Inorganic ingredients 
Woody fibre 
Starch, sugar, etc. 


3.18 

7.47 
61.35 


2.75 

6.46 

52.95 


Water 




13.43 




100.00 


100.10 


* Their analysis gave ; Carbon 


= 50.5, Hydrogeu 


= 6.8, Nitrogen 



BASED UPON THEIR PER CENTAGE OF NITROGEN. 35 

Field Peas, Giessen. 
Pisum sativum. Less in size than the preceding variety. 
Ten kernels weighed 1.9829 gr. 

I. 3.5904 gr. lost, at 100° C, 

0.7002 " water. 

II. 2.2455 " of substance, dried at 100° C, gave 

0.0628 " ashes. 

III. 0.6178 " of the same, gave 
1.0267 " carbonic acid, and 
0.3572 " water. 

IV. 0.6467 " of the same, gave 
0.4708 " platin-salammoniac. 

V. 31.9250 " of kernels (estimated as dried at 100°) 
gave, by the method already de- 
scribed, 
1.9510 « hulls. 
VI. 7232 " of the above hulls, gave 
0.0135 " ashes. 

These, in per cent, correspond to 



Carbon 


45.32 


Hydrogen 


6.42 


Nitrogen 


4.57 


Ashes 


2.79 


Water 


19 50 


Hulls 


6.11 



Estimated in hundred parts, according to the composition 
of the principal ingredients present, the above determinations 
give the following numbers. 



36 VALUE OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF VEGETABLE FOOD, 





f" Nitrogen 


4.57 ") 




Ingredients 


j Carbon 


16.04 | 




containing 


<[ Hydrogen 


2.00 } 


== 29.18 


Nitrogen. 


1 Oxygen 


6.43 j 
0.14 J 






(_ Sulphur 




Ingredients 


f Carbon 


29.28 ") 




containing 


<[ Hydrogen 


4.42 V 


= 66.23 


no Nitrogen. 


[_ Oxygen 


32.53 J 






Ashes 


- 


= 2.79 



98.10 

Legumin, according to the analysis of Dumas and Cahours, 
gave, for the above determinations, 101.06. 





Dried at 100° C. 


Undried. 


Nitrogenous ingredients 


29.18 


23.49 


Inorganic ingredients 


2.79 


2.24 


Woody fibre 


6.00 


4.83 


Starch, gum, etc. 


62.03 


51.14 


Water 




19.50 



100.00 100.00 

Table Beans, Vienna. 

Phaseolus vulgaris. Berry bright, plump, of less than 
medium size, and sound. 

Ten weighed 3.1431 gr. 
I. 2.9467 gr. lost, at 100° C, 

0.3953 " water. 
II. 2.8422 " of substance, dried at 100° C, gave 
0.1244 " ashes. 

III. 0.4648 " of the same, gave 
0.7721 " carbonic acid, and 
0.2747 « water. 

IV. 0.4334 " of the^same, gave 
0.7126 " carbonic acid, and 
0.26 17-" water. 



BASED UPON THEIR PER CENTAGE OF NITROGEN. 37 

V. 0.9082 gr. of the same, gave 



0.6457 


tc 


platin-salammoniac. 




. 13.6091 


tc 


of the kernels (estimated as 


dried at 






100° C.) gave, by the method 


already 






described, 




0.5461 


tc 


hulls. 




. 5510 


CC 


of the above hulls, gave 





0.0212 " ashes. 

The above results correspond, in per cent., with 

i. ii. 

Carbon 45.30 45.84 

Hydrogen 6.56 6.76 

Nitrogen 4.47 

Ashes 4.38 

Water 13.41 

Hulls 4.11 

Ashes of hulls 3.84 

Estimated in hundred parts, according to the composition 
of the principal bodies present, the above determinations give 
the following numbers. 

f Nitrogen 4.47 ^ 

Ingredients | Carbon 15.69 
containing <[ Hydrogen 1.95 y z= 28.54 
Nitrogen. | Oxygen 6.39 | 

I Sulphur 0.14 J 

Ingredients f Carbon 29.38 ") 

containing <J Hydrogen 4.68 [> = 66.70 
no Nitrogen. ^ Oxygen 32.04 j 

Ashes - - = 4.38 



99.63 



According to Dumas and Cahours's analysis of legumin, 
the above determinations give 102.99. 



38 VALUE OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF VEGETABLE FOOD, 



Dried at 100* C 


Undried 


Nitrogenous ingredients 


28.54 


24.71 


Inorganic ingredients 


4.38 


3.79 


Woody fibre 


3.86 


3.34 


Starch, sugar, etc. 


63.22 


54.75 


Water 




13.41 



100.00 100.00 

Large White Beans, Giessen. 
Vicia faba. Kernels white, plump and sound. 
Ten weighed 5.289 gr. 
I. 7.4054 gr. lost, at 100° C, 

1.1705 " water. 
II. 2.7950 « of substance, dried at 100° C, gave 
0.1156 " ashes. 

III. 0.4987 " of the same, gave 
0.8255 " carbonic acid, and 
0.3053 " water. 

IV. 0.7238 " of the same, gave 
0.5291 " platin-salammoniac. 

V. 45.5335 " of kernels (calculated as dried at 
100° C.) gave, by the method al- 
ready described, 
1.9680 " hulls. 
VI. 0.8335 " of the above hulls, dried at 100° C, 
ive 0.0624 " ashes. 

In per cent, expressed, these correspond to 
Carbon 45.18 

Hydrogen 6.80 
Nitrogen 4.59 

Ashes 4.01 

Water 15.80 

Hulls 4.41 

Ashes of hulls 7.48 
Woody fibre 4.09 



BASED UPON THEIR PER CENTAGE OF NITROGEN. 39 



Estimated in hundred parts, according to the composition 


of the chief ingredients present, 


the above determinations 


give the following numbers. 




i 


Nitrogen 


4.59 - 




Ingredients 


Carbon 


16.11 




containing « 


Hydrogen 


2.00 


> = 29.31 


Nitrogen. 


Oxygen 


6.47 




■ 


Sulphur 


0.14 J 




Ingredients f Carbon 


29.07 1 
4.80 y = 66.17 


containing <j Hydrogen 


no Nitrogen. ( Oxygen 


32.30 J 




Ashes 


- 


= 4.01 



99.49 

According to Dumas and Cahours's analysis of legumin, 
the above determinations give 102.73. 



Dried at 100° C. 


Undried. 


Nitrogenous ingredients 29.31 


24.67 


Inorganic ingredients 4.01 


3.37 


Woody fibre 4.09 


3.44 


Starch, etc. 62.59 


52.72 


Water 


15.80 



100.00 100.00 

Lentils, Vienna. 
Ervum lens. Kernels bright and sound. 
I. 9.3074 gr. kernels lost, at 100° C, 

1.2108 " water. 
II. 2.1669 " meal lost, at 100° C, 

0.2820 " water. 
III. 1.4724 " of dried substance, gave 
0.0402 " 



IV. 0.3511 " of the same, gave 

0.5813 " carbonic acid, and 

0.2122 " water. 

V. 0.3863 « of the same, gave 

0.6452 " carbonic acid, and 

0.2362 " water. 

VI. 0.6797 " of the same, gave 

0.5198 " platin-salammoniac. 



40 VALUE OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF VEGETABLE FOOD, 

These correspond with, in per cent., 





i. 


ii. 


Carbon 


45.15 


45.55 


Hydrogen 


6.71 


6.79 


Nitrogen 


4.77 




Ashes 


2.60 




Water 


13.01 


13.01 



Estimated in hundred parts, according to the composition 

of the chief ingredients present, the above determinations 
give 

f Nitrogen 4.77 1 

Ingredients j Carbon 16.74 | 

containing { Hydrogen 2.08 )> = 30.46 

Nitrogen. | Oxygen 6.72 I 

I Sulphur 0.15 j 

Ingredients f Carbon 28.61 ~) 
containing <j Hydrogen 4.67 V =z 65.06 
no Nitrogen. (_ Oxygen 31.78 j 

Ashes - - — 2.60 



98.12 

According to the analysis of legumin by Dumas and Ca- 
hours, the above determinations gave 101.34. 

White Potatoes, Giessen. 
Solanum tuberosum. 

I. 1.1455 gr. lost, at 100° C, 

0.8586 " water. 

II. 3.2201 " of substance, dried at 100° C, gave 

0.1163 " ashes. 

III. 0.5814 " of the same, gave 
0.9351 " carbonic acid, and 
0.3139 " water. 

IV. 1.1530 " of the same, gave 
0.2843 u platin-salammoniac. 



BASED UPON THEIR PER CENTAGE OF NITROGEN. 

These, in per cent.. 



correspond 


with 


Carbon 


43.86 


Hydrogen 


6.00 


Nitrogen 


1.56 


Ashes 


3.61 


Water 


74.95 



Estimated in hundred parts, according to the composition 
of the principal ingredients present, the above determinations 

give 

f Nitrogen 1.56 / 

Carbon 5.47 | 

Hydrogen 0.68 j> == 9.96 

Oxygen 2.14 j 

Sulphur 0.11 j 



Ingredients 
containing 
Nitrogen. 



Ingredients f Carbon 38.39 
containing <J Hydrogen 5.32 J> == 86.36 
no Nitrogen. / Oxygen 42.65 j 

Ashes - - = 3.61 



99.93 



Blue Potatoes, Giessen. 



Solanum tuberosum. 

I. 2.8369 gr. lost, at 100° C, 

1.9558 " water. 

II. 3.6446 " of substance, dried at 100° C, gave 

0.1226 " ashes. 

III. 0.8315 " of the same, gave 
1.3260 " carbonic acid, and 
0.4711 " water. 

IV. 0.7625 " of the same, gave 
1.2030 " carbonic acid, and 
0.4345 " water. 

V. 1.3485 " of the same, gave 

0.2587 " platin-salammoniac. 
4 



42 VALUE OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF VEGETABLE FOOD, 

These, in per cent, expressed, correspond with 





i. 


ii. 


Carbon 


43.49 


43.02 


Hydrogen 


6.29 


6.33 


Nitrogen 
Ashes 


1.20 
3.36 




Water 


68.94 





Estimated in hundred parts, according to the composition 
of the principal bodies present, the above determinations 
give the following numbers. 





f Nitrogen 


1.20 ~) 






Carbon 


4.21 J 




Nitrogenous 
Ingredients. 


i 

<[ Hydrogen 

J Oxygen 


0.52 } z= 
1.65 | 


7.66 




(_ Sulphur 


0.08 J 




Ingredients 


f Carbon 


39.04 1 
5.79 } = 




containing 


<] Hydrogen 


88.20 


no Nitrogen. 


[_ Oxygen 


43.37 J 






Ashes 


z^ 


3.36 



99.22 

Carrots, Giessen. 
Daucus carota. 

I. 2.6735 gr. lost, at 100° C, 
2.3021 " water. 

II. 1.6379 " of substance, dried at 100° C, gave 
0.0946 " ashes. 

III. 0.6608 " of the same, gave 
1.0597 " carbonic acid, and 
0.3736 " water. 

IV. 0.6797 " of the same, gave 
0.1885 " platin-salammoniac. 

V. 0.7043 " of the same, gave 
0.1790 " platin-salammoniac. 



BASED UPON THEIR PER CENTAGE OF NITROGEN. 43 

These, in per cent., correspond with 

I. ii. 

Carbon 43.34 

Hydrogen 6.22 

Nitrogen 1.74 1.59 

Ashes 5.77 

Water 86.10 

Estimated in hundred parts, according to the composition 
of the chief ingredients present, the above determinations 
give 

f Nitrogen 
Ingredients j Carbon 
containing <J Hydrogen 
Nitrogen. | Oxygen 
(^ Sulphur 

Ingredients f Carbon 
containing < Hydrogen 
no Nitrogen. (_ Oxygen 
Ashes 

101.02 

Red Beet, Giessen. 
Beta vulgaris rapacea. 

I. 1.6173 gr. lost, at 100° C, 

1.3200 " water. 
II. 2.3399 « of substance, dried at 100°C, gave 

III. 



1.67 ~] 

5.87 | 






0.73 y = 


: 10.66 


2.27 1 
0.12 j 






37.47 ~) 




5.49 y = 


84.59 


41.63 J 




= 


5.77 



IV. 



0.1505 " 


ashes. 


0.4875 « 


of the same, gave 


0.7325 " 


carbonic acid, and 


0.2512 " 


water. 


0.5505 " 


of the same, gave 


0.2152 « 


platin-salammoniac. 



44 



VALUE OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF VEGETABLE FOOB, 



These correspond with, in per cent., 



Carbon 


40.99 




Hydrogen 
Nitrogen 


5.72 
2.43 


Ashes 


6.43 


Water 


81.61 


Estimated in hundred parts, according to the composition 
of the chief ingredients present, the above determinations 


give 

Ingredients 
containing < 
Nitrogen. 


" Nitrogen 2.43 " 
Carbon 8.53 
Hydrogen 1.06 
Oxygen 3.31 

^ Sulphur 0.17 _ 


i 

> = 15.50 


Ingredients ( 

containing < 

no Nitrogen. < 


' Carbon 32.46 ) 
Hydrogen 4.66 

k Oxygen 36.06 J 
Ashes 


= 73.18 
=± 6.43 



95.11 

Peligot found, in this variety of beet, 

10.6 per cent, cane sugar, which with 

undried nitrogenous ingredients, 

inorganic matter, and 

water, leaves only 

for woody fibre, starch, etc. 



2.8 

1.1 

81.6 

3.9 



100. 



parts. 



Beta cicla. 



L 



Yellow French Beet, Giessen. 



1.8545 gr. lost, at 100° C, 
1.5255 " water. 
II. 2.2840 " of substance, dried at 100° C, gave 
0.1148 " ashes. 



BASED UPON THEIR PER CENTAGE OF NITROGEN. 45 

III. 0.4530 gr. of the same, gave 
0.6853 " carbonic acid, and 
0.2587 " water. 

IV. 0.4057 " of the same, gave 
0.6165 " carbonic acid, and 
0.2202 " water. 

V. 0.5660 " of the same, gave 
0.1635 " platin-salammoniac. 

In per cent, these correspond with 

i. ii. 

Carbon 41.25 41.45 

Hydrogen 6.34 6.03 

Nitrogen 1.81 

Ashes 5.02 

Water 82.25 

Estimated in hundred parts, according to the composition 
of the chief ingredients present, the above determinations 
give 



f Nitrogen 1.81 " 

N Carbon 6.35 

ltrocenous „ , „ n 

ingredients ^ Hydrogen 0.79 

ingredients. ( 0x ygen 2.46 

I Sulphur 0.13 



J> = 11.54 



Ingredients f Carbon 34.74 

containing 1 Hydrogen 5.15 ^ = 78.49 

no Nitrogen. [ Oxygen 38.60 

Ashes - - = 5.02 

95.05 



}■ 



46 VALUE OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF VEGETABLE FOOD, 

Ruta Baga, Giessen. 
Brassica napobrassica. 

I. 2.2981 gr. lost, at 100° C, 

1.9139 " water. 
II. 2.5171 " of substance, dried at 100° C, gave 
0.1010 " ashes. 

III. 0.6762 " of the same, gave 
1.1226 " carbonic acid, and 
0.3665 " water. 

IV. 0.6122 " of the same, gave 
1.0180 " carbonic acid, and 
0.3306 " water. 

V. 0.7625 " of the same, gave 
0.1765 " platin-salammoniac. 

These correspond, in per cent., with 
i. ii. 

Carbon 45.27 45.35 
Hydrogen 6.02 6.00 

Nitrogen 1.45 
Ashes 4.01 

Water 83.28 

Estimated in hundred parts, according to the composition 
of the principal ingredients, the above determinations give 

(" Nitrogen 
Ingredients j Carbon 
containing <j Hydrogen 
Nitrogen, j Oxygen 
(^ Sulphur 

Ingredients f Carbon 
containing <[ Hydrogen 
no Nitrogen. (^ Oxygen 
Ashes 

103.57 



1.45 ~) 




5.09 | 




0.63 y 


z=z 9.24 


1.97 1 
0.10 j 






40.25 1 




5.38 }: 


= 90.32 


44.71 j 




- 


- 4.01 



BASED UPON THEIR PER CENTAGE OF NITROGEN. 47 

White Turnips, Giessen. 
Brassica rapa. 

I. 0.8742 gr. lost, at 100° C, 

0.7674 " water. 
ll. 1.7487 " of substance, dried at 100° C, gave 
0.1229 " ashes. 

III. 0.4376 " of the same, gave 
0.6953 " carbonic acid, and 
0.2225 " water. 

IV. 0.2831 " of the same, gave 
0.4472 " carbonic acid, and 
0.1548 " water. 

V. 0.5976 " of the same, gave 
43.42 per cent, carbon, and 
5.91 " hydrogen. 

VI. 0.7969 gr. of the same, gave 
0.2523 " platin-salammoniac. 

These correspond in per cent, with 

i. II. hi. 

Carbon 43.33 43.08 43.42 

Hydrogen 5.64 6.04 5.91 

Nitrogen 1.98 
Ashes 7.03 

Water 87.78 

Estimated in hundred parts, according to the composition 
of the chief ingredients present, the above determinations 

f Nitrogen 1.98 ~) 

Bodies | Carbon 6.95 | 

containing \ Hydrogen 0.86 } = 12.62 

Nitrogen. Oxygen 2.69 | 

I Sulphur 0.14 J 

Bodies f Carbon 36.24 1 

containing < Hydrogen 4.82 > = 81.33 

no Nitrogen. [ Oxygen 40.27 J 

Ashes - - = ?<> 2 

100.97 



48 VALUE OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF VEGETABLE FOOD, 

White Onions, Giessen. 

I. 4.3169 gr. lost, at 100° C, 

4.0478 " water. 
II. 0.6775 " of substance, dried at 100° C, gave 

0.0578 " ashes. 
III. 0.6726 " of the same, gave 
0.1272 " platin-salammoniac. 

The above determinations, expressed in per cent., corres- 
pond with 

Nitrogen 1.18 
Ashes 8.53 

Water 93.78 



BASED UPON THEIR FER CENTAGE OF NITROGEN. 



49 



CHAFF AND HULLS, EXPRESSED IN PER CENT. 



Name. 


_, _ , 1 Ashes of 
Chaff and j chaff, 
hulls at 1 00°. | or hulls. 


Woody fibre. 


Common winter Barley - 
Panicled Oats 
Tartarian Buckwheat 
Table Peas 
Field Peas 
Table Beans 
Large white Beans 


5.40 
16.66 
22.67 
7.65 
6.-11 
4.01 
4.41 


1.90 
3 35 

0.08 
247 

1.86 

3.84 
7.48 


5 30 

16 10 
22.66 
7.47 
6.00 
3.86 
4.09 



RELATIVE WORTH OF INDIVIDUAL KERNELS, 

ACCORDING TO THEIR MASS AND PER CENT. OF NITROGEN. 





S3 S3" 
"1.2 S3 




£j3 


3.£~3-S3 Jg 
o D <r> " 


Name. 


ernels 
condit 
ghed i 
mmes. 


ire we: 
dividu 
'As Bu 
taken 
nity. 


nt. of 
i in fn 
dition 


2 C-a 3 _, 




1 

| Tenk 

I fresh 

wei 

gra 


Relati 

i of in 

kern< 

Rye 

u 


Per ce 

troger 

con 


Relati 
ofNi 
the ii 
kerne 
Rye 


Bush Rye 


0.1220 gr. 


1. 


2.39 


1. 


Rush Rye 


0.1838 " 


1.5 


2.13 


1.3 


Talavera Wheat 


0.3606 " 


3. 


2.19 


2.7 


Whitington Wheat - 


4239 " 


3.5 


2.30 


2.9 


Sandomierz " 


0.3199 " 


2.8 


2.13 


2.4 


Indian Corn - - 


3.5934 " 


29.4 


1.95 


24. 


Jerusalem Barley 


0.5312 " 


4.3 


1.92 


3.6 


Common Barley 


0.3955 " 


3.2 


2.40 


2.4 


Kamschatka Oats 


0.3446 " 


2.8 


2.08 


2.4 


Early Panicled Oats - 


3689 " 


3. 


2.45 


3.1 


Tartarian Buckwheat 


0.2566 " 


2.1 


1.33 


1.2 


Table Peas 


2.6080 " 


21.4 


3.83 


34.3 


Field Peas 


1.9828 " 


16.3 


3.68 


25.1 


Table Beans - 


3.1431 " 


25.5 


3.87 


41 2 


Large White Beans - 


5 2890 " 


43.3 


3.86 


69.9 



50 



VALUE OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF VEGETABLE FOOD, 



TABULAR VIEW 

Of Elementary and Inorganic Ingredients, in per cents., of 
substance dried at 100° C. 



Name. 



Wheaten Flour, Vienna, No. 1. 

" No. 2. 

" No. 3. 
Talavera wheat, Hohenheim. 
Whitington " " 

Sandomierz " ™ 

Rye Flour, Vienna, No. 1. 
No. 2. 
Bush Rye, Hohenheim. 
Rush Rye, " 

Potenta Meal, Vienna. 
Yellow Indian Corn, Hohenheim. 
Triticum monococcum, Giessen. 
Jerusalem Barley, Hohenheim. 
Common winter Barley, Hohen. 
Kamschatka Oats, Hohenheim. 
Early white panicled Oats, Hoh. 
Common Rice, 
Buckwheat Flour, Vienna, 
Tartarian Buckwheat, Hohen. 
Table Peas, Vienna. 
Field Peas, Giessen. 
Table Beans, Vienna. 
Large white Beans, Giessen. 
Lentils, Vienna. 
White Potatoes, Giessen. 
Blue Potatoes, " 

Carrots, " 

Red Beets, " 

Yellow French Beet. " 
Ruta Baga, ' " 

White Turnips, " 

Onions, " 



3.00 45 
2.12 45 
3.44 46 
2.59 44 
2.68'44 
2.0944 
1.8744 
2.93 45 
2.7845 
2.4745 
2.1445 
2.3045 
2.0744 
2.3L45 
2.7945 
2 39J46 
2.82|46 
1.16144 
1.0844, 
1.5645 
4.42 45, 
4 57 45. 
4.47;45. 
4.5945, 
4.77 45, 
1.5643 
1.2043, 
1.6743 
2.4340 
1.81:41. 
1.4545, 
1.98'43 
1.18 1 - 



6.70 

6.65 

6.78 

6.25 

6.82 

6.68 

6.65 

6.56 

6.58 

6.57 

6.60 

6.61 

6.72 

6.87 

6.99 

6.64 

6.7 

6.53 

6.54 

6.45 

6.73 

6.42 

6.63 

6.80 

6.75 



86 6.00 
256.31 
34 6.22 
995.72 
09 5.94 
316.01 
19 5.68 



23 
0.15 
0.25 
0.18 
0.19 



.28 0.19 
550.13 
770.21 
510.15 
980.18 
.620.15 
660.16 



0.15 

0.16 

0.20 

0.17 

0.20 
620.080.36 
500.07 1.09 
500.112.30 



0.70 
0.67 
1.11 
2.80 
3.13 
2.40 
1.33 
1.07 
0.86 
2.37 
0.86 
1.92 
2.01 
2.84 
5 52 
3.26 
4.14 



92 



0.143.18 



0.14,2.79 
0.144.38 
0.144.01 
280.152.60 
770.113.61 
00 0.08 3.36 
90 0.12 5.77 
37 0.17 6.43 
060.13 5.02 
59 0.10 4.01 
96 0.14 7.02 
• — 8.53 



BASED UPON THEIR PER CENTAGE OF NITROGEN. 



51 



TABLE 



Of Nitrogenous Ingredients, in per cents. 





Nitrogenous 


Ingredients, j 




Name. 


Dried at 


In fresh 


Water. 




100° C. 


condition. 




Wheat Flour, Vienna. No. 1. - 


19.15 


16.51 


13.83 


" " " No. 2. - 


13.54 


11.69 


13.65 


" " " No. 3. - 


21.97 


19.17 


12.73 


Talavera Wheat, Hohenheim 


16.54 


13.98 


15.43 


Whitington Wheat, Hohenheim - 


17.11 


14.72 


13.93 


Sandomierz Wheat, " 


17.18 


14.51 


15.48 


Rye Flour, Vienna. No. 1. 


11.94 


10.34 


13.78 


" « " No. 2. 


18.71 


15.96 


14.68 


Bush Rye, Hohenheim 


17.75 


15.27 


13.94 


Rush " - 


15.77 


13.59 


13.82 


Polenta Meal, Vienna 


13.66 


11.53 


13 36 


Yellow Indian Corn, Hohenheim 


14.68 


12.48 


14.96 


Triticum Monococcum, Giessen - 


13.22 


11.30 


14.40 


Jerusalem Barley, Hohenheim - 


14.74 


12.26 


16.79 


Common Winter Barley, Hoh. - 


17.81 


15.35 


13.80 


Kamschatka Oats, Hohenheim - 


15.26 


13.32 


12.71 


Early panicled Oats - 


18.00 


15.67 


12.94 


The same, without chaff - 


21.57 


18.78 


12.94 


Common Rice - 


7.40 


6.27 


15.14 


Backwheat Meal, Vienna - 


6 89 


5.84 


15.12 


Tartarian Buckwheat, Hohenheim 


9 96 


7.94 


14.19 


Table Peas, Vienna 


28.02 


24.41 


13.43 


Field Peas, Giessen 


29.18 


23.49 


19.50 


Table Beans, Vienna 


28.54 


24.71 


13.41 


Large White Beans, Giessen 


29.31 


24.67 


15.80 


Lentils, Vienna - 


30.46 


26.50 


13.01 


White Potatoes, Giessen - 


9.96 


2.49 


74.95 


Blue Potatoes, " 


7.66 


2.37 


68.94 


Carrots, Giessen " 


10.66 


1.48 


86.10 


Red Beets, " 


15 50 


2.83 


81.61 


Yellow French Beet " 


11.56 


2.04 


82.25 


Ruta Baga Beet " 


9 25 


1.54 


83.28 


White round Turnips 


12.64 


1.54 


87.78 


Onions 


7.53 


0.46 


93.78 



52 



VALUE OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF VEGETABLE FOOD, 



TABULAR VIEW 



Of Nutriment Values expressed in equivalents, Wheat 
placed at 100. 



Theory. 



Experiment. 



Name. 


Dried at 


In fresh con- 


In fresh con- 




100° C. 


dition. 


dition. 


Wheat - 


100. 


100. 


94. 


Rye ... 


98.8 


97.6 


97.6 


Indian Corn 


115. 


113. 


108. 


Triticum monococcum - 


128. 


124.6 





Barley - 


104. 


102. 


101.5 


Panicled Oats 


92. 


90. 


112.7 


The same, without chaff 


78. 


76.3 


^___ 


Kamschatka Oats 


110. 


106. 


112.7 


Common Rice 


220. 


225. 





Tartarian Buckwheat - 


170. 


166. 


122.7 


Table Peas 


59.9 


57.6 


90.7 


Field Peas 


57 7 


60. 


90.7 


Table Beans 


59.2 


57. 


90.7 


Large white Beans 


58.8 


57. 


94.7 


Linsen - 


55.5 


53. 





White Potatoes - 


169.8 


565.6 


429. 


Blue Potatoes 


220.8 


596.3 


429. 


Carrots 


158.6 


959.4 


545.4 


Red Beets 


109. 


501.5 





Yellow French Beet - 


146. 


689.5 


643. 


Ruta Baga 


182.7 


919.4 


589.7 


White Turnips - 


133.8 


919 4 


1000. 


Onions - - . 


224.6 


210.6 






The last column, in the above table, contains the average 
results of experiments with a view to practical equivalents, 
as given by Boussingault, pp. 292 - 295, German ed. One 
of the results with wheat differs so greatly from the others, 
that it was neglected. 



BASED UPON THEIR PER CENTAGE OF NITROGEN. 53 

By comparing the results of the above investigation with 
each other, and with those previously known, the following 
conclusions have been arrived at. 

That the same species of cereal grain, grown on different 
soils, may yield unequal percentages of nitrogen. 

That wheat and rye flours, to the eye and sense of feel- 
ing undistinguishable from each other, may differ by from 
one to three tenths of their whole quantity of nitrogen. 

That one-seventh of fresh, ripe cereal grains, is moisture, 
that may be expelled at a temperature of 100° C. 

That root crops, grown on different soils, may yield une- 
qual percentages of nitrogen. 

That the percentage of moisture in edible roots, is a con- 
stant quantity for each variety. 

That beets, carrots and turnips, have a larger percentage 
of moisture than potatoes. 

That more aliment is contained in a given weight of peas, 
beans or lentils, than in an equal weight of any other kind 
of food above analyzed. 

That in several of the grains and roots analyzed, there 
are organic bodies beside those identical in composition with 
gluten and starch. 

That the ashes of carrots, beets, turnips and potatoes, as 
Prof. v. Liebig has already remarked, contain carbonates. 

That the ashes of all the varieties of vegetable food above 
analyzed contain iron. 

Finally, that the difference between the theoretical equiva- 
lents of vegetable food, as estimated from the percentage of 
nitrogen, and those ascertained by the experiments of stock 
growers, and the differences between the results of different 
stock growers, may be attributed in part to the unequal per- 
centages of nitrogen in the grains and roots of the same 
species or variety, when grown on different soils, — but 
5 



64 VALUE OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF VEGETABLE FOOD. 

chiefly to the imperfection of the modes of determining the 
practical equivalents. These have been imperfect, 

1st. Because the prominent test employed, has been in- 
crease or diminution in weight, of the animal fed. Increase 
in weight may arise from secretion of fat derived from the 
sugar and starch of plants. Diminution in weight may fol- 
low unusual activity, increasing the consumption of fat 
already present. 

2d. Because theoretical equivalents have been employed 
in conditions unequally suited to digestion. The same article 
of food, coarse or fine, fresh or prepared for easy digestion, 
yields unequal measures of nutrition. 

3d. Because the experiments, in but few instances, have 
been made with substances where moisture and nitrogen had 
been previously ascertained. 



AMMONIA IN GLACIERS. 

By E. N. HORSFORD. 

READ BEFORE THE ALBANY INSTITUTE, NEW YORK, JANUARY, 1846. 



The height at which Glaciers are formed, renders their 
composition interesting in a meteorological point of view, 
commencing, as many of them do, at an elevation of more 
than ten thousand feet above the level of the sea. In an 
atmosphere of proportionally less density, it might naturally 
be supposed, that the moisture discharged at their sources, 
either as rain or snow, would differ in the nature and quantity 
of the substances dissolved, from that discharged at lower 
elevations. 

Carbonate of ammonia, one of the never failing, though 
variable ingredients, of the atmosphere, would be less in 
proportion to the elevation, and less would accompany a 
given fall of rvin or snow on the top of a high mountain, 
than in the bottom of a deep valley. 

Glaciers are formed in localities, where, from the eleva- 
tion, great excess of cold over heat, and conformation of 
mountain gorges, snow is permitted to accumulate. At mid- 
day in summer, the snow thaws. Later in the day it freezes ; 
with its increase in density and mass it descends. Coming 
into the region of rain, the body of half snow and half ice 
becomes filled with water and again freezes. The constant 
pressure of the mass above, and the advancing movement, 



56 AMMONIA IN GLACIERS. 

unite with the alternate freezing and thawing to increase the 
solidity, until it is scarcely less than that of the ice covering 
a quiet Alpine lake. 

The carbonate of ammonia that falls with the snow and 
rain forming the glacier, becomes, of course, enclosed in 
the ice. To ascertain the amount of this ingredient in the 
glaciers of the Savoy Alps, a little investigation was insti- 
tuted, the record of which may perhaps be of service. 

On September 22d, 1845, about two cubic feet of ice from 
the foot of the Glacier de Boisson,* were packed in cloths 
and salt, and transported to Geneva. Through the courtesy 
of Prof. Marignac, conveniences in the Geneva Academy 
were furnished for dissolving and evaporating what remained 
of the ice. 

The block was carefully rinsed to remove any attached 
salt, and melted in a copper vessel. To prevent any loss 
of carbonate of ammonia, sulphuric acid was added in the 
progress of melting, till the water gave an acid reaction. 

8.8 litres were evaporated in porcelain basins to the compass 
of 194 cubic centi-metres, and in a glass-stoppered flask 
brought to the Giessen Laboratory. 

100 c.c. of the fluid were there evaporated to the compass 
of about 10 c.c. Upon cooling at this stage of concentra- 
tion, crystals of sulphate of copper and ammonia,, and gyp- 
sum, with traces of peroxide of iron, appeared. The latter 
two were obviously impurities of the salt in which the ice 
had been packed, and the copper came from the vessel in 
which the ice had been melted. 

Bi-chloride of platinum in excess, and hydrochloric acid, 
were then added to throw down the ammonia. The whole 
was next evaporated to dryness upon a water bath, and 
treated with a mixture of alcohol and ether, to dissolve the 
excess of bi-chloride of platinum. It was then poured upon 

♦One of the termini of the Mors de Glace, according to Murray. 



AMMONIA IN GLACIERS. 57 

a filter, previously dried at 100° C.,and weighed, and washed 
again with alcohol and ether till the filtrate gave no acid re- 
action. 

After again drying at 100° C, and weighing the filter and 
its contents, they were burned, and in a covered crucible ex- 
posed to a dull red heat. 

It was possible that a silicate of potassa, dissolved from the 
granite dust with which the glacier is more or less covered, 
might have been present. The potassa would have been 
thrown down with the ammonia as platin-chlorid-potassium, 
increasing by so much the weight of the precipitate. 

By burning and heating to redness, the chlorammonium 
and chlorine of the bi-chloride of platinum would be ex- 
pelled, while the chloride of potassium would remain unde- 
composed. Upon treating the residue with water, and that 
with nitrate of silver, no precipitate appeared. Hence there 
was no. chlorine and no chloride of potassium present. 

To remove any silica that might be present, a small quan- 
tity of pure carbonate of soda was added and fused, and the 
whole washed, till the wash water, evaporated upon a pla- 
tinum plate, gave no residue. 

The peroxide of iron was removed in washing out the car- 
bonate of soda. 

To remove the gypsum and sulphate of copper,* diluted 
hydrochloric acid was added and withdrawn with a pippette, 
till it gave with chloride of barium no precipitate. 

The remainder was again dried, and weighed 
0.053 grammes. 

This, as pure platinum, corresponds with 

0.00912 gr. of ammonia. 

This obtained from 100 c.c, reckoned for 194 c.c, the 



* A part of the sulphate of copper may have been reduced in heating the 
crucible. The whole quantity, however, was very minute, and any loss 
from this source was in part, if not wholly compensated by the loss of pla- 
tinum in burning the filter. 

5* 



58 AMMONIA IN GLACIERS. 

contents of the flask, or 8 8 litres, the amount evaporated, 
or 8800 gr., the weight of the ice, gives 

0.017708 gr. ammonia, 
which, in per cent., equals 

0.000201, 
or T^cy.xnnj °f tne wn °l e weight of the ice. 

From the above notice, it is obvious, — 

That ammonia is not confined to the lower strata of the 
air, and 

That a shower of rain, after a long interval of fair weather, 
should produce, through the ammonia descending with it, 
immediate effect in vegetation ; and 

That a soil, containing the necessary inorganic matters, 
and whose physical properties enable it to retain a certain 
measure of moisture, should be fruitful, inasmuch as it re- 
tains the ammonia with the moisture ; and 

That a soil, containing so large a proportion of clay that 
it does not permit water to filter through, should be less fruit- 
ful, since the subsequent falls of rain, after the soil has be- 
come filled, will flow away, and with them the ammonia they 
have brought down. 



ACTION AND INGREDIENTS OF MANURES. 



LETTER TO PROFESSOR WEBSTER. 



Giessen, May 1, 1846. 
My dear Sir, 

The discovery* to which I alluded in my last, and the im- 
portant results to which it must lead, will appear in clearer 
light after a brief consideration of the subject of manures. 

The time is not long gone by, when plants were supposed 
to owe their growth to some mysterious, creative power, the 
living principle possessed. Since the element of quantity 
has been carried from physics into the other departments of 
science, and especially into chemistry, this opinion has grad- 
ually lost its supporters. Occasionally, however, a man may 
still be found who demurs to a new doctrine in agricultural 
chemistry, with the expression — " You have not taken into 
proper consideration the action of the vital principle." 

It is, however, well known, that without water, plants will 
not grow ; and that they flourish better on some soils than on 
others, and that the addition of manures has been instru- 
mental in greatly augmenting the produce of fields. 

What the essential ingredients of manures were, and how 
they act, and what are the sources of the ingredients of 
plants, especially of carbon and nitrogen, have been objects 
of repeated investigation, by some of the first scientific men 
of the age. 

You will remember that Saussure recognized, somo time 
since, alkalies and alkaline earths in the ashes of plants ; 

* Of Ammonia in soils. 



60 LETTER TO PROFESSOR WEBSTER. 

but found them in such variable proportions, that he came to 
the conclusion they were non-essential, — occurring in the 
plants merely because they were present in the soil in a 
soluble state. 

You are aware that Bousingault has expressed the opinion, 
after a variety of experiments, that the value of a manure is 
in near relation to its percentage of ammonia. 

Mulder has, you know, written much in support of the 
view that ulmic and humic acids, ulmates and humates, etc. 
in one form and another minister largely to vegetation. And 
in the last volume of Berzelius's Jahrs Bericht, received a 
day or two since, I see the above-named distinguished chem- 
ist has been recently conducting a series of experiments, 
lending, in his view, support to his previously expressed 
opinions. 

Licbig differs from them all. He found that though the 
relative amounts of magnesia and lime, potash and soda, 
occurring in the ashes of a Savoy pine, and of the same 
species grown elsewhere, might be greatly unlike — the 
amount of oxygen, in combination with the metals, calcium 
magnesium, potassium, sodium and iron, of the ashes, was a 
constant quantity This observation bears the stamp of its 
great author, and its importance can only be estimated in 
connection with a detailed exposition of the evolution of or- 
ganic acids, alkaloids, and indifferent bodies in the vegetable 
organism. Of this you will not expect me here to write. 
This great lav/ he discovered and laid down, that for the full 
development of the organic tissues of each species, a certain 
percentage of inorganic bases is indispensable ; and that of 
thc^e, potash, to a certain amount, may replace soda, and 
magnesia, lime ; but the amount of oxygen must be constant. 
In other words, the equivalents of base must be a constant 
quantity. 

When one takes in hand a yl^imb^r of ash analyses of the 
same species of plant grown on different soils, and calculates 



LETTER TO PROFESSOR WEBSTER. / 61 

therefrom the percentage of oxygen of the bases, TmreWinds 
that the results differ but little from each other. For differ- 
ent species the percentages of oxygen vary, as do also the 
relative and absolute amounts of the several bases and acids. 
Liebig, as you are already aware, takes the position that the 
sources of carbon and nitrogen are carbonic acid and am- 
monia of the air, and not soluble organic bodies met with in 
some soils. He asks if it be not so, where the thousands of 
tons of wood, grown for centuries in succession on a soil 
containing but "traces of organic matter, have derived their 
carbon. And again ; What replaces the nitrogen shipped 
from Holland in hundreds of thousands of pounds of cheese 
yearly, if the ammonia does not come from something be- 
side decaying organic matter ? 

A meadow, yielding year after year, without manure, an 
uniform moderate crop, by addition of gypsum had its pro- 
duce increased a third. 

The addition of ashes increased its production another 
third, and the distribution of bone ashes another third. So 
here, by the addition of mineral matters, its capacity of pro- 
duction had been doubled. No new source of carbon had 
been provided — no new source of ammonia — and yet the 
hay gathered after these additions of mineral matter, con- 
tained twice as much carbon, and at least twice as much nitro- 
gen as before. 

Where did these ingredients come from ? 

Bousingault's ingenious experiments with regard to the 
sources of carbon, had yielded a partial answer. The car- 
bon came from the carbonic acid of the air. The ammonia, 
as you will presently perceive, could have had no other 
origin. 

Faraday, I need not mention to you, found ammonia in 
almost all bodies. Even metals, dropped in fused potash, 
yielded ammonia. Sand, heated to redness, and poured upon 



I 



C2 LETTER TO PROFESSOR WEBSTER. 

cooling along the back of the hand, immediately after, with 
potash, yielded ammonia. 

Mulder has thrown out the idea, that organic bodies in the 
progress of decomposition, produce ammonia, not alone by 
parting with their nitrogen in this form, but by causing, 
through the molecular action attendant upon this decompo- 
sition, the union of the nitrogen of the air with the hydrogen 
of the organic body, or of water decomposed at the same 
time. Berzelius, even, says that if iron filings be placed in 
the bottom of a jar, they will oxydate at the expense of 
oxygen of water, producing, by the union of the hydrogen 
thus set free with the nitrogen of the air, ammonia. 

Professor Will, of the Giessen Laboratory, has shown by 
the most conclusive experiments, in opposition to the latter 
most distinguished chemist, and to Mr. Reiset, who enter- 
tained a similar view, that nitrogen unites with hydrogen 
under no such circumstances. And Mulder's view fails in 
quantitative experiment of its support. Indeed, the experi- 
ments of the Dutch chemist, detailed in the last Jahrs Be- 
richt, having a guajuntatiue purpose merely, have not won 
the conviction of Berzelius. 

Ammonia, Liebig maintains, is a body not indebted to or- 
ganism for its being ; that it is to be classed with iron and 
potash, and soda and oxygen, whose quantity, within the 
organism of plants and animals, and without, is in general 
terms constant. He holds, that when the required physical 
properties have been given a soil, and the necessary inor- 
ganic ingredients in suitable solubility, the ammonia and car- 
bonic acid with healthful falls of rain will provide themselves. 
Muck serves so eminently well in giving the requisite porosity 
to a soil, that a widespread conviction prevails in America; 
that, somehow, it becomes dissolved, and passes, according 
to Mulder's view, directly into the vegetable economy, without 
first becoming carbonic acid, ammonia, and water. 



» <«Jt>A.'^ > 







LETTER TO PROFESSOR WEBSTER. 



63 



The quantity, though small, was determinable by the bal- 
ance, and the fact is established, that even at these eleva- 
tions this ingredient does not fail. 

I herewith send you the determinations of my friend Dr. 
Krocker, now Professor of Chemistry and Physics in the 
Agricultural Institute of Breslau, in Silesia. 



TABLE 

OF THE AMMONIA CONTAINED IN SOILS. BY DR. KROCKER. 



Soils Examined. 



Clay soil, before manuring 

Clay soil - 

Surface soil, Hohenheim - 

Subsoil of the same, Hoh. 

Clay soil, before manuring 

Clay soil, " 

Soil for Barley 

Clay soil, before manuring 

Loam - 

Loam - - 

Illinois prairie soil 

Cultivated sandy soil 

Excavated loam earth 

Cultivated sandy soil 

Nearly pure sand - 



Varieties of Marl ^ 



Ammonia 
in 100 parts 
of air-dried 
oil. 



0.170 
0.163 
0.156 
0.104 
0.149 
0.147 
0.143 
0.139 
0.135 
0.133 
0.116 
0.096 
088 
0.056 
0.031 
0.09881 
0.0955 
0.0768 
0.0736 ) 
0.0579 
0.0077 | 
(J0.0047 J 



specific Pounds of Ammonia in a 

jravity.soil of one hectare in 

area, and 0.25 metre deep. 



2.39 


20314 


2.42 


19723 


2.40 


1&720 


2.41 


12532 


2.41 


17953 


2.41 


17713 


2.44 


17446 


2.41 


16749 


2.45 


16537 


2.45 


16292 


2.18 


12644 


2.50 


12000 


2.5 


11009 


2.51 


7028 


261 


4045 




11952 




11552 




9288 


2.42 


8904 




7004 




931 




568 



A metre is 39.37 inches ; so 0.25 metre are a little less 
than ten inches, or five-sixths of a foot. 

A hectare contains two and a half English acres. I have 
converted the last column into English values, and adjoin 
them. 



64 



LETTER TO PROFESSOR WEESTEK. 



Name of Soil Examined. 

Clay soil, before manuring 




Ammonia in a stratum on© 
acre in area and one foot 
deep, in pounds, avois. 

9751 


Clay soil 






9163 


Surface soil, from Hohenheim 






8985 


{Subsoil, from the same field 






6015 


Clay soil, before manuring 






8617 


Clay soil, " " 






8502 


Soil for Barley . 






8373 


Clay soil, before manuring 






8039 


Loam 






793S 


Loam 






7820 


Illinois prairie soil 






6069 


Cultivated sandy soil 






5760 


Excavated loam earth . 






5280 


Cultivated sandy soil 






3373 


Vai 


ieties o 


f Marl 


< 


[5637 
5545 
4458 
4274 
3362 
447 
272 



The excavated earth was taken from a depth below the 
traces of organic matter. The Illinois prairie soil was brought 
by a returning German, in paper, from a field that had been 
cultivated without manuring already ten years I think. 

Now, what farmer ever carted from his manure yards 8000 
pounds of ammonia to an acre of land ? One may almost 
inquire, what farmer ever carted the tenth, or even the twen- 
tieth part of this amount ? It is obvious, that the ammonia 
spread on fields in the ordinary distribution of barn yard 
products, is of no moment. The quantity, with usual falls of 
rain, greatly exceeding in the course of a season any con- 
ceivable supply by human instrumentality. These results 
put the question of the source of ammonia or of nitrogen out 
of all doubt. 

But if with the manure heap and the liquid accumulations 



LETTER TO PROFESSOR WEBSTER. 65 

of the barn yard, transported to the fields, the ammonia be 
not the chief ingredient, or an important one, to what are we 
to attribute the unquestioned value of stable products and 
night soil ? 

Liebig has shown, that if plants be manured with the ashes 
of plants of the same species, as the grasses of our western 
country are when burned over in the fall, they are supplied 
with their natural inorganic food. He has shown the truth 
of the principle in a great variety of ways. Among others, 
he has been feeding some grape vines with the mineral mat- 
ters of their ashes, in the proportions in which analyses have 
shown them to be present ; and their development has been 
luxuriant in the most remarkable degree, though the soil upon 
which they have been grown is little better than sand. He 
made a variety of experiments with grains, roots, flowers, 
&c. which I had the pleasure of following last year, and this 
Spring he has commenced them upon a more extended scale. 

Let us consider what these ashes are, and what manure is. 

Herbivorous animals derive their nutrition from the vegeta- 
ble kingdom exclusively, their food being grass, grains, roots, 
etc. These, with their organic and inorganic matters, are 
eaten. A portion of them is assimilated, becoming bone, 
muscle, tendon, fat, etc. Another portion is voided in the 
form of excrementitious matter. In process of time the 
bones and tissues follow the same course. What to-day 
forms the eye, with its sulphur and its phosphates, and car- 
bon, &c. will have accomplished its office, and left the 
organism to mingle with the excrements, or escape as car- 
bonic acid and water from the lungs. At length, all the 
inorganic matters will reappear in the voided products. 

Carnivorous animals satiate their hunger from the already 
developed organism of the herbivora. Their food of course 
contains merely what the plants had furnished. In their ex- 
crements reappear the soluble and insoluble inorganic sub- 
6 



66 LETTER TO PROFESSOR WEBSTER. 

stances, mingled more or less, as is the case also with the 
herbivora, with indigestible matter, such as hair or woody 
fibre. 

The animal organism has performed the office of a mill. 
Grain was supplied. Instead of appearing as flour and bran, 
and the intermediate meal, it appears after intervals of 
greater or less length, in soluble inorganic salts in the liquid 
excrements, in insoluble inorganic salts in the solid excre- 
ments, and in carbonic acid and water. 

Now, after burning a plant, what remains ? It contained, 
when growing, 

Carbon, 
Nitrogen, 
Hydrogen and 

Oxygen, as organic bodies, and 
Water. 
It contained also, in variable proportions, 
Common Salt, 
Potash, 
Soda, 
Magnesia, 
Lime, 
Iron, 

Phosphoric acid, 
Sulphuric acid and 
Silica. 
The first four were expelled in the combustion. The re- 
maining ingredients for the most part remained unchanged. 

Had the plant gone into the body of an animal, and in 
the course of its evolutions through the organism lost its 
carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen, the remaining in- 
gredients would have been the same as before. 

In the one case, the plant would have been burned in the 
organism ; in the other, in a crucible. The ashes and the 
excrements are the same. 



LETTER TO PROFESSOR WEBSTER. 67 

The principle of rational improvement of soils is, then, 

1st. A proper physical constitution for the retention of 
moisture, escape of surplus rains, expansion of roots, etc. 
This will be derived from the plow, harrow, spade and hoe, 
and admixtures of sand in some soils, clay in others, loam in 
others, and organic refuse in most. 

2d. A supply of the inorganic ingredients which the ashes 
of the plant to be cultivated contains, in such a state that 
they may be taken readily into the vegetable system, and yet 
not so soluble as to be wasked away by rains. 

I will venture to add a single additional remark. 

Seven inorganic bodies included in the ash products above 
mentioned, are absolutely indispensable to the growth of 
plants. A soil wanting these cannot yield seed capable of 
reproducing its kind. 

Here, then, all the mysteries of gypsum being serviceable 
on some soils, and for a number of years, and then being no 
longer of use, — of its benefitting some soils greatly, and 
others not at all, — the great value of quick lime or of cal- 
careous marl on some lands, and their uselessness on oth- 
ers, — the profit of employing bone dust generally (phosphate 
of magnesia and lime), — the worth in some instances of 
salt, — of straw, ploughed in, — of poudrette, — guano, — 
horn scrapings, — soda, — saltpetre, etc. — become solved. 

Some soils have already sufficient sulphuric acid and lime. 
Gypsum would not benefit them. Others have enough of 
all the remaining ingredients, but lack sulphuric acid. Gyp- 
sum supplies the deficiency. Two or three years culture, or 
ten perhaps, exhaust another ingredient. Bone dust possibly 
supplies the want. In time, however, still another recu r w wgyw 

J no long e r presunl " ill the suih Potash or soluble silica, 
ypsum perhay in never so large a quantity, contains no 
trace of phosphoric acid, or potash or silica. 

A drought prevents soluble mineral matters from being 



68 LETTER TO PROFESSOR WEBSTER. 

taken into the plants, and without rains the ammonia is not 
brought down from the air. 

Night soil and guano are the ashes of animal and vegeta- 
ble organism burned in animal bodies. They are the ashes 
of plants — essential food of plants. 

Explanations of many things, hitherto obscure, present 
themselves to any one after contemplating this view of ma- 
nures. I will not enter upon the subject of rotation of crops, 
whose object is chiefly the renewal of soluble mineral mat- 
ters by action of the atmospherie^change of temperature, etc. 

1 have no doubt that ere long The application of these doc- 
trines, will reveal in the many, now considered quite ex- 
hausted farms of New England, untold sources of wealth. 
You would think me sanguine beyond reason if I were to 
express my honest conviction of the still virgin capabilities 
of the soil of our pilgrim fathers, and I will not venture it. 
We shall see. 

I am, &c. 

E. N. HORSFORD. 

Prof. J. W. Webster. 



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